United States › Georgia › Wilkes County COUNTY
Wilkes County Georgia · 9,540 residents (2025 est.) · 470 sq mi
Time machine
COMPARE TO 1990 Census 2000 Census 2009 ACS 2010 ACS 2011 ACS 2012 ACS 2013 ACS 2014 ACS 2015 ACS 2016 ACS 2017 ACS 2018 ACS 2019 ACS 2020 ACS 2021 ACS 2022 ACS 2023 ACS
The short version
Wilkes County is a county of 9,549 people in Georgia. 17% of adults hold a bachelor's degree, below the 36% national rate. At a median age of 46.0, this is an older place than the country as a whole. Home values have more than doubled since 2000, reaching $122,700. That trails the Georgia median by roughly 33%. Density works out to 20 people per square mile.
At a glance
Lower income
below the US median
US median: $82,259
Older
median age 46.0
US median: 38.9
Less educated
17% hold a bachelor's degree
US average: 36%
Stable housing
home values roughly flat, inflation adjusted
US median home: $376,019
Section 01
Population & growth from 10,687 in 2000
9,540 in 2025 (Census Bureau estimate)
from 22 / sq mi in 2009
US average: 281
from 39.0 in 2000
US average: 38.9
Population, 1990 – 2024
9K 10K 10K 10K 11K 1990 2000 2010 2020 2024 Wilkes County Age distribution, 2024
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Section 02
Income & economy $52,043
+3%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $27,644 in 2000
US average: $82,259
from $15,020 in 2000
US average: $44,673
Households earning $100K+
from 15.1% in 2009
US average: 53.3%
from 17.5% in 2000
US average: 12.5%
from 0.487 in 2010
US average: 0.476
Workforce by industry, 2024
Public administration 4.6%
Professional, scientific, technical 3.9%
Transportation & warehousing 3.1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing 2.7%
Arts, entertainment, food 0.3%
Education & health services 0%
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
$122,700
+16%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $58,000 in 2000
US average: $376,019
$786
+20%inflation adjusted, since 2000
from $359 in 2000
US average: $1,442
from 75.5% in 2000
33.9% rent
from 22.1% in 2009
US average: 10.0%
from 2.49 people in 2009
US average: 2.54
from 37.0% in 2009
US average: 22.9%
from 33.4% in 2009
US average: 47.4%
from 2.6 in 2009
Years of local income it takes to buy a local home, on a scale of about 0 to 15. Lower is more affordable.
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means faster recent growth in incomes, home values, and college degrees.
Section 04
Race & ethnicity 2000
White, non-Hispanic 53.9%(5,758)
2024
White, non-Hispanic 51.6%(4,925)
Hispanic / Latino 4.8%(463)
from 67 in 2009
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means a more even mix of racial and ethnic groups.
from 14 in 2020
Our index, 0 to 100. Higher means White and non-White residents are more separated across neighborhoods.
Section 04 · Origins
Detailed origins & ancestry Ancestry
+ 6 more ancestry groups with data from 12.0% in 2000
US average: 35.6%
High school or higher
from 65.0% in 2000
US average: 89.6%
from 4.2% in 2000
US average: 14.0%
Section 06
Commute & transportation from 15.2 min in 2000
US average: 26.5
from 71.0% in 2009
US average: 68.9%
from 19.4% in 2009
US average: 8.5%
from 0.2% in 2009
US average: 3.2%
from 1.8% in 2009
US average: 15.0%
from 6.0% in 2009
US average: 2.4%
from 0.0% in 2009
US average: 0.4%
from 11.3% in 2009
US average: 8.3%
Section 07
Work & employment from 13.3% in 2011
US average: 5.2%
from 50.0% in 2011
US average: 63.5%
Women 20-64 in the labor force
from 64.0% in 2020
US average: 74.6%
from 13.8% in 2009
US average: 13.1%
from 28.1% in 2009
US average: 42.5%
Section 08
People & community from 1.5% in 2009
US average: 14.1%
from 9.8% in 2009
US average: 6.2%
from 22.8% in 2012
US average: 13.3%
from 17.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 41.8% in 2017
US average: 91.0%
Computer in household
from 64.8% in 2020
US average: 95.5%
from 90.1% in 2020
US average: 87.7%
from 95.7% in 2016
US average: 77.7%
from 3.5% in 2016
US average: 13.6%
Marital status
Men 15+
Never married 37.3%(1,410)
SHARE WITHIN EACH SEX · POPULATION 15 AND OVER · 2024
Section 09
Health coverage from 17.7% in 2013
US average: 8.4%
from 44.2% in 2020
US average: 54.8%
Direct-purchase
from 12.1% in 2020
US average: 13.8%
from 29.0% in 2020
US average: 18.4%
from 21.7% in 2020
US average: 20.9%
VA health care
from 3.1% in 2020
US average: 2.2%
Any private
from 56.0% in 2020
US average: 67.1%
Any public
from 45.0% in 2020
US average: 36.7%
Shares are "alone or in combination": a person with both Medicare and Medicaid counts in each, so categories overlap and do not sum to 100%.
Section 09 · Service history
Veterans Veterans by period of service, 2024
Gulf War (2001 or later) 23.5%(127)
Gulf War (1990s) 30.2%(163)
Share of the 540 veterans here. A veteran who served across eras counts in each, so shares can total more than 100%. Peacetime-only service is included in the total but not shown as an era.
BAR + DOT: THIS PLACE · TICK: US AVERAGE
Drill deeper
Places similar to Wilkes County Head to head
Compare Wilkes County to nearby counties WILKES COUNTY VS
Taliaferro County
Income $52,500 +1%
Home value $68,900 −44%
Population 1,662 −83%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Lincoln County
Income $56,907 +9%
Home value $165,900 +35%
Population 8,112 −15%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Oglethorpe County
Income $75,034 +44%
Home value $231,600 +89%
Population 16,415 +72%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
WILKES COUNTY VS
Elbert County
Income $58,450 +12%
Home value $142,000 +16%
Population 20,072 +110%
SEE FULL COMPARISON →
Frequently asked
How many people live in Wilkes County, Georgia? Wilkes County, Georgia has about 9,549 residents according to the 2024 American Community Survey.
What is the median household income in Wilkes County, Georgia? The typical household in Wilkes County, Georgia earns about $52,043 a year. Half of households make more than that, and half make less.
Is Wilkes County, Georgia expensive? In Wilkes County, Georgia, the median home is worth about $122,700, and the typical rent is about $786 a month.
How educated are people in Wilkes County, Georgia? About 16.9% of adults age 25 and over in Wilkes County, Georgia hold a bachelor's degree or higher.
What is the poverty rate in Wilkes County, Georgia? About 17.8% of people in Wilkes County, Georgia live below the federal poverty line.
Has Wilkes County, Georgia grown since 1990? Yes, Wilkes County, Georgia has shrunk since 1990. The population has lost about 1,048 residents, a change of about -10 percent over that period.
Keep going
Explore from here 